The present invention relates to an atomizer and, more particularly, to an atomizer including a plurality of cylinder units to separate an inlet from an outlet.
An atomizer generally includes a main body having an inlet or outlet for sucking, injecting, or atomization purposes. The atomizer can be used in medical treatments, such as medical care of nasal cavities and throats of patients in ear-nose-throat departments of hospitals and elderly healthcare centers. In an application of the sucking function, a nasal mucus sucker can be used with the main body of the atomizer to suck nasal mucus and accumulated phlegm out of the nasal cavity of a patient. In an application of the injecting function, an injector (or nasal spray) can be used with the main body to clean the nasal cavity, the throat or a wound of a patient. In another application of the injecting function, a sprayer can be used with the main body to proceed with spray treatment in the nasal cavity or throat.
In an arrangement, the main body of the atomizer includes a housing receiving a motor and a cylinder unit having an inlet and an outlet. A check valve is mounted in each of an inlet passage for the inlet and an outlet passage for the outlet of the cylinder unit, providing the cylinder unit with an intake function and an outtake function. Each of the inlet and the outlet is connected by a connection pipe to an exterior of the housing. Thus, the cylinder unit includes an inlet piping and an outlet piping. An outlet end of the inlet piping forms the inlet of the atomizer, and the outlet end of the outlet piping forms the outlet of the atomizer. The inlet piping is not in communication with the outlet piping under normal conditions. However, the check valves are generally flexible resilient members in which the inlet piping or the outlet piping is opened or closed upon flexing or not flexing of the resilient members. The check valves of this type are liable to fatigue after the atomizer has been used for a period of time. Thus, incomplete closing could occur though the inlet piping or the outlet piping should be closed, leading to undesired communication between the inlet piping and the outlet piping and causing risks of cross infection.
Thus, a need exists for a novel atomizer that mitigates and/or obviates the above disadvantages.